The present invention relates to a system for rating fuel and/or fuel additives for their tendency to form and mitigate deposits on solid surfaces. One problem addressed by this system is intake system deposits of internal combustion engines. Intake system deposits cause operational problems.
Engine tests of deposit mitigation by fuels and fuel additives are necessary but are laborious and time consuming. So, a rapid laboratory test, which ranks fuels and fuel additives in the order of deposit mitigation is of considerable value. The present invention is a new way to make and study deposits from fuels and lubricants. It is unique because its operating conditions can be changed to emulate the surface temperature fluctuations and fuel transport behavior of engine intake systems.